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Savannahs & Silverbacks: Luxury Safari in the Heart of Africa

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

Receive a warm welcome on arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport, an hour outside the city of Arusha. Transfer to your luxurious lodge to recover from your travels. Situated on the Burka Coffee estate, Arusha Coffee Lodge is a working plantation that spans some 21,000 acres and features 21 private chalets, each with en-suite facilities, including shower, bath, and separate toilets. Overnight Arusha Coffee Lodge.

Day 2: Tarangire National Park

A short early morning flight from Arusha brings you to the Kuro airstrip in the southern and less traveled portion of Tarangire National Park. Named after the Tarangire River that runs through it, this park is known for its large herds of elephants and migratory herds of wildebeest, zebra, and buffalo with lion, leopard, and other predators following in the footsteps of the herds. The elusive greater and lesser kudu are frequently spotted as well as eland and Oryx. Get your first glimpse of the incredible wildlife viewing you can expect in Tarangire’s unspoiled wilderness zone on a game drive traveling from the airstrip to your intimate safari camp. Overnight Oliver’s Camp.

Day 3: Tarangire Walking Safari

Rise early to witness the morning wildlife activity on a guided walking safari through the endless acacia woodlands and open plains habitats surrounding camp. With its location in the wilderness zone of Tarangire National Park, Oliver’s Camp is privileged to be the only camp in Tarangire to operate walks inside the Park boundaries.

Walking with a professional park ranger, you learn to interpret the tracks, spoor, calls and other wildlife signatures and enjoy unique wildlife viewing. Roving the land with your senses heightened you become part of the landscape and feel Africa beneath your feet. Fitness level, interests, animal movement, season and the day’s temperature will determine the length and route of your walk with the possibility of combining a morning on foot with an afternoon game drive or spending the day on a 6-7 hour walk through the Park. Sip sundowners watching the sun sink below the vast horizon and unwind around the evening fire recounting the day’s highlights. Overnight Oliver’s Camp.

Day 4: Tarangire to Ngorongoro

Greet the day with an early morning walking or driving safari exploring more of the Tarangire wilderness zone before bidding goodbye to your friendly camp staff. After driving northward through Tarangire National Park we stop at the village of Mto Wa Mbu to soak in the bustling market town and browse through the local wares. Travel on to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Highlands, your home for the next few days. Overnight The Highlands.

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater

Arise early to descend the 2000 foot walls of the Ngorongoro Crater for a day of incredible game viewing inside this World Heritage site. The caldera offers stunning scenery, close viewing opportunities, and high concentrations of wildlife with more than 20,000 animals spread throughout a variety of ecosystems. Under the guidance of your expert ranger look for the rare black rhinoceros, elephant bulls with enormous tusks, and black-maned lions among the wildebeest, Thomson's gazelles, zebra, reedbucks, monkeys, and baboons. Despite the crater’s steepness there is a surprising amount of movement of the animals as they seek out the crater’s permanent water supply and grazing plains. You may also see local Maasai clad in their traditional red clothing tending their cattle. Savor the awe and beauty of this memorable scene as you enjoy a picnic lunch on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. (Depending on current park rules you may spend 6 hours or the entire day in the Crater.

Day 6: Morning hiking and Community visit

Choose today from several explorations around the Ngorongoro highlands, including an ascent of the Olmoti crater on a Maasai cattle trail where expansive views greet you at the top. You may also descend into the Empakaai crater accompanied by a local ranger and walk to the soda lake on the crater floor, famous for the pink flamingos that congregate there.

Spend this afternoon with the local Maasai in one of the neighboring villages to learn more about their traditional way of life of visit with school children at a local school (when in session). Overnight at the Highlands.

Days 7-9: Serengeti National Park

Reenergized, leave the crater highlands behind and fly to Serengeti National Park, likely the most famous wildlife sanctuary in the world and, during the months of the migration, contains huge numbers of wildebeest and zebra. Your activities these days will depend on where you're staying.

FROM JUNE TO OCTOBER,
Restored from your stay at Gibb’s Farm, leave the crater highlands behind as your scheduled flight takes you to one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world, the Serengeti National Park. After landing in Kogatende we drive to Sayari Camp, located in the Mara Triangle area near the Northern border with Kenya. During the months of the migration these seemingly unending plains contain huge numbers of wildebeest and zebra.

The area is also famous for its lion, cheetah and hyena which are particularly active during the calving season. In addition, you can expect to see Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, elands, impalas, klipspringers and warthogs. Upon reaching our intimate safari camp, settle into your spacious tent complete with luxury linens, en suite bathroom and screened verandah. The next three days are spent game driving in open vehicles in the Park. Overnights at Sayari Camp.

FROM NOVEMBER TO MARCH,
Depart the Ngorongoro Highlands today with your driver guide headed for the Serengeti. Stop along the way at the Olduvai Gorge, where Louis and Mary Leakey made their early hominid findings. See the remains of early man, his artifacts and other fossilized prehistoric animals. Continue to the Serengeti and the Moru kopjes, massive islands of granite standing in a sea of grass, which provide shelter to a great variety of plants and animals from the elusive leopard to the tiny dik dik.

During the months of December to March the Migration gathers in the Southern Serengeti, culminating in the annual calving season late in February. In addition the Moru Kopjes area is the only place in the Serengeti where rhino can currently be seen. Our next days are spent with our driver-guide exploring this renowned National Park looking for prides of lion, herds of elephants, and the numerous species of predators and plains game that reside in the area. Overnight at Dunia Camp.

Day 10: Departure to Rwanda

After a final game drive across the plains of the Serengeti, board your plane for a spectacular flight over the Serengeti and on to Rwanda to begin another chapter in this great adventure. Upon arrival in Kigali transfer to the Kigali Serena.

Day 11: Volcanoes National Park

This morning see Kigali on a short city tour before visiting the Genocide Museum en route to Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda is known as ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills’ and on the scenic 2-hour to Kinigi you’ll pass through countless lush valleys and witness stunning mountain vistas. Overnight at the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge nestled in the forest at the base of Sabyinyo Mountain.

Day 12-13: Gorilla Trekking and departure

The Virunga Mountains in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo are home to the world’s population of mountain gorillas. Some of the gorilla families have been habituated to human presence, and it is possible to visit them in their natural habitat within the forest. Take a short drive to Park Headquarters and meet with local guides and trackers who present an orientation about gorilla tracking ethics.

Spend two days in the Volcanoes National Park on full day treks to view two different families of mountain gorillas. The search, with experienced trackers leading the way, can take up to eight hours although the gorillas are usually found after one to three hours. Once the gorillas are spotted the encounter is a most profound natural history experience. Overnight for two nights at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, and in the afternoon of Day 13 return to Kigali to connect with an evening flight home.